More Than One Life
by silversatyr
Summary: You know this world, you've played it a thousand times, but sometimes the devil is in the details and things aren't always the way they seem. Take a step into the life a girl about to start a journey that will change more than one life. Diamond Nuzlocke.
1. Meetings and Battles

STARTING NOTES: Rating: Teen, possibly higher if it gets bloody. Some cussing and possible sexual connotations, though nothing hot and heavy.

RULES: Going by general Nuzlocke Rules and a few other restrictions.

- One pokemon per route.  
>- No trades except in-game trades - they don't count as a per route pokemon. Probably won't become main party pokemon unless I need an HM slave.<br>- Naming all pokemon.  
>- Only items I find or held items to be used. The sole exception is pokeballs.<br>- EXP. Share/Lucky Egg/etc. can only be used by pokemon that are 5 or more levels lower than the highest levelled pokemon in my party.  
>- KO = Boxed for the rest of the game.<p>

DISCLAIMER: Pokémon and the franchise do not belong to me. I do this for fun, not profit and this is the only disclaimer you're gonna get.

That said, let's do this!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Pokémon Basics... People live aside pokémon in this world. The people that battle pokemon are called Pokémon Trainers<strong>._

"Ugh, I already know this! Is this all the information they send out? Seriously?"

Lucille shut off the computer and turned to look around her room. She'd left the television on, listening to the Pokénews. As a soon-to-be rookie trainer it was a good idea to keep an ear out for what was happening in the world of Pokémon, or so her father had told her many times - during the few times he was home, that was.

Sighing, she stood and stretched. Soon the peace of the morning would be destroyed by Barry - a blond-haired boy she'd met the day her family had moved to Twinleaf. She'd been trying to get rid of him ever since. Well, not really trying so much as hoping he'd grow bored of her company and leave on his own. She didn't want to be mean, after all, and he had been nice enough to take her under his wing, so to speak. They'd been the only kids of their age group in the small settlement, so it was only natural that they'd stuck together.

A slammed door from below signalled the arrival of her over-eager friend and grabbing her beanie from the chair she headed to the lounge room to see what he wanted. Another loud slam sounded as she reached the room. Door slams were a common occurrence when Barry was in residence.

"Mum? What did Barry want?"

Her mother, once a well-known Water-pokémon trainer, looked up from the news report on the television. She was still quite pretty despite the hard life she'd lived, and her steel-grey eyes shone with mirth as she regarded Lucille.

"That boy needs to learn to slow down a little! I could hardly make out what he was saying before he took off again. Something about an emergency. You'd better run after him and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Just, be careful not to go off the path! You know how dangerous wild pokémon can be!"

Lucille nodded. The large crescent-shaped scar on her back from a wild Pidgey attack when she was four made sure she remembered quite well just how dangerous they could be.

* * *

><p>Pulling on her beanie Lucille stepped outside and took a deep breath. The late autumn air stung her cheeks, reminding her that though it had been a warmer than usual year, winter would soon to be there, covering the grass with a light layer of snow.<p>

Across from her house a young girl played with a charmander doll, dressing it up in a bonnet. Her mother was watching from the window. The family had recently lost their oldest son in a freak pokémon accident. Lucille felt sorry for them, though she really didn't know them that well. They'd only moved in a few weeks ago. The community was slowly growing from the two-house settlement it had once been.

"Hey Lucille, looking for Barry? You two are pretty tight, eh?"

A burly man stepped out of the house next to Barry's. Ian was in charge of Twinleaf's fences and paths - a jolly man who liked poking fun at everyone and everything. It had been his Nidoking who had saved her from the Pidgey when she was a child and he'd been transferred to Sinnoh along with her parents to aid in the creation of the Twinleaf settlement seven years ago.

She'd always thought of him as another member of the family and he'd treated her like a niece, often saying that since his own family were so far away he'd had to adopt himself another. Lucille had always liked him and one day hoped to be as strong a trainer as he was.

"Did you see him come past? Mum says he ran in screaming something about an emergency, then took off again."

"Nope, sorry. You might want to check with his mother. Arceus knows how she deals with him! I've never seen someone who got so worked up over nothing! That said, I'll be having dinner at your house tonight. Your father's dropping by and I need to catch up with him about a few things."

That stopped Lucille short.

Her father, though a good man, had rarely been home once he'd been promoted. It had been hard for her mother to adjust to the new workload at first - as co-founders of the settlement they'd had to split the work between them - and now she had to wade through all the paperwork, politics and pressure alone. Her hard work had paid off, though. Twinleaf had finally been added to the newest Sinnoh maps as a proper town! (She was still having trouble convincing the pokémarts to open premises there, though.)

"Dad's coming back? Why didn't Mum tell me!"

"No idea, Squirt. Maybe she wanted to make it a surprise. Oh, which reminds me, when you see him remember to act surprised, okay? I don't think I was supposed to tell you."

"Okay, Ian. Well, I'd better go before Barry runs up screaming about something else."

"Right then, see you tonight, Luci-bell! And remember, act surprised!"

"Don't call me that..."

* * *

><p>Lake Verity was quiet in the midday heat. The cool of the morning had long burnt off and now the only sounds were the chirrup of Kriketots, a soft flapping of wings and the gentle lapping of the lake itself.<p>

Lucille found herself rubbing her arm where Barry had run into her on his way out of his home. They'd finally met up and he'd dragged her along to look for some non-existent creature at the lake. It wasn't that she didn't believe in Gyarados', in fact she'd seen one on the boat during the journey to Sinnoh, sunning its large body on a far-off rock. No, it was the idea of there being a red one that had her cynical.

From what she knew about water type pokémon - and she knew a bit thanks to her mother - most tended to be either blue, green and grey - or orange in the case of Magicarp. The colour red made you stand out too much in the water and standing out would get you eaten. Nature had its own way of dealing with the more flamboyant creatures, which was probably why it was so hard to find a Goldeen, she supposed. Though really, nothing explained Magicarp.

_Maybe they just taste bad?_She thought with a smile.

Watching the water was nice, but not very exciting. For once Barry was quiet, keeping watch for any large ripples in the water. It had been pure genius of her to tell him that fish ran away from too much noise, she thought. Of course silence didn't last long when Barry was around.

"Hey, Luci! What type of pokémon do you want first? I want a cool one that spits fire and can run fast and is so strong he can knock over walls! That would be so cool!"

Lucille watched her friend in silence. He bounced on the balls of his feet, his blond hair brushing his flushed face as he waved his hands in wild gestures. As long as she nodded every now and then, maybe threw in a "Yeah" or "I know" once in a while he was content to babble on. It was kind of... cathartic sometimes, just letting him talk. It wore him out after a while and then they'd just sit in silence, enjoying each others' company.

"Oh, hey! What do you suppose that is? I didn't notice it before!"

Jerked out of her musings, Lucille watched Barry approach the edge of the path. He was pointing at something glinting in the brush, close to the tree-line. Adjusting her knee-highs as she got up, Lucille squinted at the item, trying to get a better look. It seemed to be rectangular, whatever it was.

"Come on, Slowbro! Let's see what it is!"

And with that Barry jumped forward, into the overgrowth.

"Wait! Barry, it's not safe! Oh, Arceus, he's going to get us both killed!"

Lucille groaned as she took off after him, stepping lightly on the heavy layer of brush that could be hiding anything. It was one thing to watch pokémon from a distance, quite another to actually invade their territory without protection of any sort.

"Hey! Look, Luci, it's a suitcase! Cool! I bet it's filled with hidden treasure or something important! Oooh! Maybe there's 10 million pokedollars in it! You could pay me back all that money you owe me! Let's open it!"

"All that money you say I owe you..."

She grumbled under her breath as she reaching Barry's side, grabbing his arm and trying to make him crouch. Soft rustling from the trees made her very aware that her back was unprotected and she could almost imagine that her scar was itching. Barry's loud voice echoing across the lake didn't help her feel any safer.

"Barry, shut up! We don't want to wake anything that's sleeping. Oh, we shouldn't be here..."

He must have realised that she was scared because he lowered his voice and crouched close.

"Don't worry, Lucille, we won't be in here long enough for anything to grab us. Let's just peek inside and then we can see whether it's worth taking with us or not."

As he pressed the latch to open the case a sudden screech rang out from above. Two Starly, apparently startled by something, swooped down on the teens, claws outstretched. Falling backwards, Lucille landed heavily on her side, something hard and smooth under her shoulder. Barry was yelling, waving his hands in front of his face, trying to beat off the Starly that attacked him.

The other had flown into the sky, getting ready to dive again. Lucille scrambled to find something, anything, to protect herself. The opened case lay nearby, papers covering the ground and two round balls rolling away. Grabbing the closest one, she threw it at the bird attacking Barry, hoping it would distract it and give him time to recover.

Instead there was a red flash and a small pokémon appeared out of nowhere. Tiny and blue, with little flippers and a crown-like marking on its face, a small bird appeared and smacked straight into the Starly. Startled, it took to the sky, watching the battle warily from above.

Lucille had next to no time to notice this, however, as the other Starly had swooped at her and started scratching at her arms and face.

"Barry! Help! BARRY!"

Screaming, she fell backwards, landing awkwardly. The bird followed her down, only to retreat a moment later, regrouping with its friend above. A small beast, vaguely resembling a turtle with a sprout on its head, had leapt back as she tried to get to her feet. A hand grabbed hers and pulled her up.

"Luci! Luci, are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

Trying to catch her breath, Lucille eyed the two Starly. Their beady eyes shone and some message seemed to pass from one to the other. Something soft pressed against her leg and she looked down to see an odd looking... arm? flipper? A small blue bird looked up at her with large, gentle eyes and she felt something pass through her - almost like an understanding.

Sudden screeches from above announced the return of the Starly as they dived together.

"Hey, little green! Attack that bird again!"

Barry's command and the subsequent tackle made by the green little creature next to him made something click into place for Lucille. She spared a quick look at the small penguin-esque creature next to her then stood and pointed at the on-coming Starly.

"Little penguin thing! Attack that bird!"

At her command the small penguin launched itself at the Starly, bringing its flipper down hard on the other birds wing. With a screech the Starly crash-landed near the lake edge. It looked up at Lucille, something like respect in its eyes. With a quick flick of its wing to check for damage it launched itself into the sky once more, this time flying away, across the lake.

"Phew! That was scary. And my arms are all scratched up, too! Let's hurry back onto the path before anything else comes and attacks us, Luci!"

Barry grabbed her arm, leading them back towards the path. She couldn't be bothered taking back her arm and let him. The little blue penguin and the small green beast followed behind. Just as they were about to reach the path a shout rang out.

"Hey! What do you kids think you're doing in the long grass?"


	2. Family and Friends

A young man in a red hat stood on the path, frowning at them. Lucille felt Barry stiffen next to her and out of the corner of her eye she saw the small penguin move closer to her. The green turtle... thing... had fallen back a bit, probably surprised by the shouting boy. Who was apparently giving a lecture.

"... and that's very irresponsible! What if you'd been attacked? You could have been seriously injured! Thank Arceus I forgot the Professor's suitcase or you both might have been in very big trouble. Which reminds me... You haven't seen a brown suitcase around here have you? I've gone and left it behind and, oh, he's going to be so mad if something happened to the precious pokémon he had in there. Not to mention his research!"

Lucille and Barry shuffled guiltily but the young man didn't seem to notice as he strode past them and back to the spot where the now-opened suitcase and its contents were scattered.

"Ah! No! Oh, great, now I'm going to get it! All his papers are messed up... oh no, some of these just can't be salvaged. What got to this one, a zigzagoon? Damn, I can't find the other two pokéballs! Lucas, you're in so much trouble!"

He continued to pick up the papers and tried in vain to pack them neatly back in the case. The two teens watched in silence, hoping to avoid more lectures by pretending they weren't there. Finally he snapped the case shut and spun around.

"Well? Why are you still in the brush? Move!"

A few minutes later and both Barry and Lucille were alone at the gate to the lake. The strange man, Lucas, had already left, shouting something about having them come to the lab tomorrow to drop the pokémon off. Barry was busy cleaning a small scratch on the turtle-thing and mumbling soft nonsense words to it. The small penguin stood next to Lucille who was inspecting a rather deep cut on her arm and waiting for Barry.

"Oh well, I guess that'll do."

He stood up and dusted off his shorts.

"We should probably go home, I suppose. It's a pity we have to give these critters back, though. I think this guy likes me!"

The small turtle headbutted his leg gently, the sprout on its head swaying. A soft touch on her leg surprised Lucille, but looking down all she saw was the small bird. It was kind of cute, she supposed, with its soft, gentle eyes and tiny flippers. Not at all like a Pidgey or Starly. She knelt in front of it, looking it over closely for the first time. It definitely resembled a penguin, but with subtle differences. For one, there was a wary intelligence in those soft eyes. And it was blue. Very blue.

"Come on, Lucille. Don't get too attached. We have to give them back. They aren't ours..."

Barry pouted as he said this, but he looked determined to do the right thing. He leaned down and picked up the turtle.

"Uff! Heavier than I thought... You know, it's kind of getting late."

Standing up, Lucille turned to the gate and followed him out. She could hear a soft 'flip, flap, flip' behind her and smiled. It was kind of nice to hear.

* * *

><p>"Oh, sweet Arceus! What happened to you? You're all scratched up and-!"<p>

"Mum, I'm okay. I just got into a... little fight. Nothing to worry about!"

"Let her worry, Luci."

A tall man stood next to the door, the light from the kitchen making his red hair look brighter than usual. Lucille's father, Grant, once a small-time researcher on the relation between plants and pokémon, now a world-renowned botanist, grinned at his daughter.

Lucille's face lit up in response.

"DADDY! Oh, it's been forever since I last saw you!"

"Hey, easy there! Wow, that scratch looks pretty nasty. Let your mother take care of that while I ... Is that a pokémon?"

The small bird watched him with solemn eyes, glancing now and then at his wife. It seemed almost wary of them. He knelt down and held out a hand, beckoning it to come nearer. His wife also knelt down. She seemed to be confused by it for a moment before relaxing.

"That's a Piplup. A Water-type. They're incredibly rare to find in the wild - they're usually bred in captivity. How strange."

Lucille crouched next to it and it flip-flapped its way over to her, still keeping a wary eye on her parents. Its small flipper reached out and touched her hand, before it sidled up closer to lean against her.

"Seems it's chosen you, Luci."

"Y-Yeah. But it's not mine. I have to give it back to its owner tomorrow."

Her mother had slowly moved closer, making sure not to startle the small bird.

"That's a pity, it really seems to have taken a liking to you. Still, if you want to start your journey through the gyms, I have a pokémon that I was going to give you for your birthday. It's not hatched yet, but I think you'll like it. I bred it from two of my best pokémon."

"Thanks Mum, but I'm not even sure I want to do the gym challenge."

The small bird pressed its face against Lucille's arm and let out a soft sigh. Smiling, she picked it up gently and placed it in her lap. It was strange that she felt such a connection to the strange little bird. She stroked its forehead gently and it closed it eyes.

"I don't really want to give you up."

* * *

><p>The next morning was bright and clear as Lucille stepped outside, a small wait bag on her hip, holding her wallet and the small pokéball holding to the Piplup. It had taken a little while for her to leave the house. She'd first had to endure another lecture from her mother about yesterday's foolishness, then said goodbye to her father who had left again for the city. Just as she was about to leave the house her mother had pressed a box into her hands, telling her that she might need the new shoes and giving her directions to the Lab in Sandgem town, which apparently belonged to a grumpy old professor called Rowan.<p>

"He'll probably growl at you but just explain and he shouldn't get too angry. If it helps, pass my thanks along to him. I really am thankful that you're okay."

Finally free, she took a deep breath and stepped outside. Strangely enough, it felt like the first step into the future. Grinning at her melodrama, Lucille made her way north, determined not to run into Barry today. After all, it was his fault that she'd gotten scratched up as badly as she had, though she had to admit that she was happy to have met a bird pokémon she liked. Not all birds were scary creatures, ready to swoop down on you at a moment's notice, she mused. Some of them could even be quite cute.

"Hey there, Luci-bell! If you're looking for Barry, you're a bit late. He took off north some time ago. Seemed to be in a hurry, too!"

Ian grinned at her from where he was planting some new bushes. They were an odd kind her father had discovered years ago that repelled wild pokémon. Apparently they were used in Repel sprays and had revolutionised the way wild pokémon were handled. A hedge of them formed a protective barrier around the small township and it was part of Ian's job to make sure there were sufficient bushes to protect the citizens.

"Thanks Ian. I'm heading to Sandgem town, so I'll see you later!"

"Right! Your father told me about it last night. Be careful on your way, and take care of that little birdie!"

"I will!"

With a laugh, Lucille sprinted for the town gates and turned east. It was time to head through the wilderness by herself for the first time.


	3. Research and History

"Careful, there's another one behind you!"

Three hours had passed and Sandgem town was finally in sight. Almost every step of the way Lucille had been plagued by bidoofs. The first time they'd been attacked by one she'd almost panicked, but she was beginning to get a handle on battling. By the end of the route the little Piplup was almost anticipating her orders before she made them and the journey was starting to become kind of fun.

Smiling, Lucille watched the small bird blow bubbles at its current foe. The first time it had started spitting foam she'd damn near had a heart attack, but she soon recognised the attack for what it was - Bubble, a weak water attack.

_I guess this trainer thing isn't so bad..._

As the battle ended, she knelt next to the little bird and touched the top of its head softly. There was a pretty ugly scratch on one of its flippers, but it stood still for her inspection, not making a fuss.

"Hey! Lucille! Wait a sec!"

Looking up she saw Ian jogging towards her. He was carrying a small package under one arm and puffed heavily as he came to a stop.

"Had to use a Super repel to get through quickly enough to catch you! Here, give this to Barry, it's from his mother. She said there's something in there for you as well."

He passed her the package and took a moment to breathe. She smiled up at him.

"Okay, sure."

"Great! I gotta head back. I found a bush some idiot trainer cut down and I need to plant a new one before any wild pokémon finds the gap. Take care and here - I'm sure it'll come in handy."

Lucille looked down at the small bottle in her hand. It had a spray cap and was filled with a pretty blue liquid. Pictures of dancing Chanseys circled the word 'POTION' on a bright green label. Spraying the liquid on the piplups injured flipper she watched in amazement as the scratch slowly faded from sight. With a delighted squeak the small bird flapped its wings rapidly, jumping up and down.

_Potion, huh? They're pretty useful. I'll need to get more of them..._

"Hey!"

Looking up, Lucille saw the same young man who'd lectured she and Barry the day before. He seemed to be in a much better mood, smiling absent-mindedly as he jogged towards her.

"Hi there, I'm Lucas, Professor Rowan's aide. I've been waiting for you to arrive. Your blond friend already came and left a while ago. I hope you don't mind, but I'll walk you to the lab."

With a soft 'click' and a flash of red light she returned the small bird to its ball and stood to meet him.

* * *

><p>It was awkward walking with Lucas. Every now and then someone would call out or wave to them and Lucille was starting to feel a little self-conscious by the time they reached the lab. It was smaller than she thought it would be, the paint on the outside walls starting to chip and fade. Lucas shuffled his feet a little before pulling open the door.<p>

"Well, it's not much, but it's home. Professor Rowan is waiting for you - don't worry, I don't think he's mad."

He ushered her in and let the door fall shut behind them before directing her forward.

"Well, I've a few things to check for the Professor so I'll leave you here. It's not hard to find your way, just ask someone if you get lost, okay?"

With that said, he left.

Lucille turned to look around, curious about the lab. Though the outside looked pretty rough, the inner areas - from what she could see - were quite clean and well-ordered. There was a cacophony of clicks and beeps coming from large machines that were set against the walls and white-coated men and women rushed back and forth between them. Bookcases formed separations between what could only be called casual offices and at the end of the large room there was a large table covered with papers, books and a battered suitcase that looked very familiar. Next to the table, reading a piece of paper, stood a tall man with white hair.

"Go on, he won't bite!"

A pretty brunette in a lab coat, who Lucille hadn't heard approach, gave her a slight nudge towards the white-haired man.

"He only _looks_scary. To be honest he's more of a psyduck than a golduck, if you know what I mean. Go on, he's been waiting for you."

With a last uncertain look back (and receiving an encouraging smile in response) Lucille walked towards the man. The closer she got the more intimidating he looked. His white hair stuck out in many directions, reminding her of an odd dog-like pokémon she'd once seen in a pokémentory. His gravely voice sounded like a low growl as he mumbled to himself and she wished she'd kept the piplup with her instead of returning it to its pokéball.

He didn't seem to notice her approach and she took a chance to look around a bit more, craning her neck to get a better view of what one of the researchers were doing with a small red machine.

"No... no, that doesn't work! Maybe if we used the new algorithm combined with a recording...? What do you think, Miss Lucille?"

With a slight jump, Lucille turned toward the Professor who was regarding her silently, obviously waiting on her reply.

"Um, oh! Uh, what was the question again?"

Giving a sigh and a small shake of his head he placed the papers he'd been reading on the table. He frowned lightly before sighing again and turned back to face her. He watched her silently for a moment, a puzzled expression crossing his weathered face.

"You know, I can't quite remember. Odd... Well, where is it?"

For a moment she wondered just what he wanted before remembering her reason for being there. She took the small ball from her pocket then reluctantly offered it to him. He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.

"Yes, a pokéball. Remarkable things, really. Did you know that each and every one has a certain compound inside it which is injected into a pokémon, rendering the special repelling plants used in towns non-effective? And that each time you rest at a Pokécenter that compound is restored, so as to keep this in effect? This is the reason that using Pokécenters is the preferred method of healing, as opposed to potions and other home-made remedies. Really, it's quite fascinating how something as innocuous as the discovery of a small plant can change the nature of raising pokémon! Ah, but of course you'd already know all this, seeing as it was your very own father who made the discovery."

Nidding politely, Lucille wondered if perhaps the Professor wasn't a little... eccentric. He certainly seemed to like the sound of his own voice but she was here to hand back the small pokémon she'd borrowed, not listen to a lecture on the scientific properties of pokéballs, or a debate on potions versus Pokécenters - even if it was interesting.

"Um, about the... piplup?"

At the mention of the pokémon the Professor's eyes suddenly brightened and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Ah, is that the one you chose? Perfect! Wonderful! Well, call it out, I want to take a look!"

Lucille pressed the small button and with a slight 'click' and a flash of light, the small bird stood between she and the Professor. Its large eyes lit up when it saw her and it did an clumsy little dance, hopping and flapping its small flippers.

The Professor picked it up once it had calmed down and, placing it carefully on the table, gave it a thorough inspection. The small bird seemed quite happy to let him do as he pleased, allowing him check under its flippers, inside the beak and the bottom of its feet. It gave a small 'Peep!' when he poked its side gently and leaned into his hand when he patted it on its head.

"Well, she looks to be in good condition. I'm quite amazed, actually, at how responsive she is. What a brave little girl - and so affectionate too! Well, I see no reason to take her from you - she seems to be quite happy and healthy. Now all she needs is a name. I'll leave that up to you, though. Congratulations, you've just become the owner of a piplup!"

Shocked, Lucille stared at the man for a moment before focussing on the small bird who seemed to be nudging the suitcase towards the edge of the table. She hadn't really thought that she'd be allowed to keep the small piplup but she had hoped, just a little, that she could. And now, it seemed, the small bird was hers. Hers to name, to take care of and battle with and perhaps, maybe, journey across Sinnoh, collecting badges...

It sounded like a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of fun. Suddenly she couldn't wait to get started!

*THUMP*

The little pokémon had managed to push the suitcase off the table and spill its contents across the floor. A single pokéball rolled away until it hit the edge of a bookcase. Picking it up, the Professor frowned and sighed. He walked back to the table and, still caressing the small pokéball, looked at Lucille sadly.

"It's a pity, but this poor little one has yet to find a home. They were rescued, you see, from an illegal breeding facility. There are some out there who consider pokémon as nothing more than tools to be used - whether for battle or criminal activities, who can say? They breed specific types to boost their powers, but those that fail to meet their expectations are usually destroyed, deemed to be 'inferior'. These three were considered inferior and... well, if it weren't for a good man they would not be with us today."

Lucille watched as he absently stroked the ball. The little piplup reached up and touched his elbow gently. He patted its head and placed the ball in his pocket.

"Well, I'm sure I'll find this one a good home eventually. I may even keep it for myself if I can't. It's a bit too young to be released into the wild - the three of them are newly hatched, you see. They have each had basic battle training, as you no doubt noticed, though sadly this young one seems to be too traumatised to talk. Your friend's turtwig had no problem in that regard... though it was quite easily startled. Hm... yes. All you can do is give her some time and I'm sure she'll soon be talking your ear off. Anyway, no doubt you've things to do. Here's a trainers guide and... hm, yes! I think I can trust you with this!"

He strode to a desk and started rustling through the drawers as Lucille pocketed the small handbook. She hadn't really given much thought to the idea that pokémon could talk. Sure, some types could, and her mother had often spoken about her starmie and goldeen enough that she knew telepathic communication was possible, but that she might be able to hold conversations with her own pokémon? She'd never really thought about it and wondered just how common it was. Maybe the trainers' guide in her pocket could tell her? She'd definitely study it later.

"Ah, here we are! I knew I had one around here somewhere! Now, this is an... experimental one so try not to break it! It's still being... ah, refined, shall we say, but it's the best I've got at the moment. I gave the last one to your friend, but then that model is being phased out, what with the new Nuzlocke laws coming in. Thankfully the new guides arrived last night or I'd have to give you a lecture on the rules. Now, by taking this device you are entering a contract to abide by the Nuzlocke laws, so be sure to read that guide thoroughly before you begin your adventure."

So saying, he handed her a small green device, the official POKéLEAGUE logo on the front.

"This... is my greatest invention yet! A cumulative effort between three different pokémon professors and with information on every pokémon recorded. Now listen closely, I'll only say this once! Behold - the new and improved Poke-"

* * *

><p>"-dex! It automatically records information about every pokémon it scans, as well as doubling for a translation device for pokémon that can't talk. Aaaand it keeps track of how many pokémon you're carrying, how many you have caught, whether you need to restore them at a Pokécenter - whether for healing or topping up that repel-nullifier - and plays music that can entice pokémon to you! It can also automatically alert authorities if you catch more than one pokémon in a designated area!"<p>

Bianca watched her daughter as she dried the dishes. Lucille was sitting on the floor, rolling a small rubber ball back and forth to the small piplup. It had been a long time since she'd seen her so excited and though a small part of her worried about the dangers and pain ahead for her daughter in the gym challenge, she was also happy to see Lucille taking up the same path she, herself had taken many years before.

"Mum, are you listening? Tomorrow I'm going to head back to Sandgem town and stock up on potions and pokéballs. Then I've got to catch up to Barry. I wonder if he'll be waiting for me in the next town over... was it Jubilife city? I need to get a map, too. Oooh, I can't wait to catch some pokémon! But only one for each route... I hope I get good ones!"

Putting the last plate away, Bianca frowned. She had been a large fan of water-type pokémon, and though there were trainers who focussed exclusively on certain types, the new laws made it harder to be so choosy. She wanted Lucille to accept each of the pokémon she'd catch as unique beings, capable of many types of strengths, no matter their grouping.

She filled a bowl with ice-cream, grabbed two spoons and went to sit next to Lucille. It would be the last time for a long while that she'd be able to talk like this with her daughter - imparting her motherly wisdom to the raven-haired teen. Maybe it was time to talk to Lucille about some of the harsher parts of the journey she was about to embark on.

"Lucille, I once had a rapidash, did you know? His name was Johy and... I loved him very much."

Lucille looked up in surprise. It was not a secret that Bianca had trained other pokémon but she'd never told Lucille about the sole fire-type whose death during an idiotic 'better-than-you' battle had broken her heart and almost destroyed her then-budding friendship with Cynthia.

_Yes_, Bianca decided_ She needs to know about the heartache a journey like this can bring._

"It all began on my sixteenth birthday. On my way to the closest pokémon research laboratory I ran into this snobby blonde-haired girl..."


End file.
